1. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to an apparatus for connecting a motor vehicle to a trailer. Specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus which allows the user to couple a standard fifth-wheel trailer to a standard ball hitch on a motor vehicle.
2. State of the Art
Trailers, including cargo trailers, boat trailers, recreational vehicles, animal trailers, camping trailers and mobile homes, are designed to be towed behind a motor vehicle. During transport, the front end of the trailer is supported by and connected to the vehicle by an apparatus. A truck having a bed, with a connecting apparatus in the bed of the truck, is commonly used to tow trailers. A fifth-wheel trailer connects to a towing vehicle by a fifth-wheel hitch that is mounted on a frame within the vehicle bed such that the actual connecting apparatus is located above the plane of the truck bed. A gooseneck trailer connects directly to the towing vehicle via a ball hitch in the bed of the truck.
While trailer hitches are well known, numerous design drawbacks exist in the prior art. The fifth-wheel trailer connects to the hitch via the trailer""s king pin box, which is located on the front end of the trailer. Fifth-wheel trailers commonly extend over at least a portion of the bed of the truck and attach to a hitch near the middle of the truck bed. Standard hitches are very costly, are difficult to install, and often require drilling of holes or other modifications to the truck bed and frame. The hitches are very heavy and very difficult to remove. The complex installation results in the hitch being semi-permanently attached to the towing vehicle, making removal of a standard hitch an arduous task. Therefore, a person who owns both a gooseneck trailer and a fifth-wheel trailer must necessarily own two different trailer hitches and a different trailer hitch must be installed, and/or removed, each time a different trailer is needed. Thus, it would be preferable to have a trailer hitch that was easy to install and remove.
Similarly, the prior art design is unsatisfactory because the hitch generally takes up considerable space in the bed of a truck, causing the bed area to be unusable. Because the standard hitch is typically semi-permanently installed, the valuable cargo space in the truck bed is unavailable even when a trailer is not coupled to the truck. Another limitation of the prior art is that it is difficult to mate the trailer to the coupling apparatus, further prolonging the installation process. Additionally, with the prior art design, a user must climb into the bed of the truck to lock or unlock the coupling apparatus. Finally, standard trailer hitches do not allow vertical adjustment to provide greater or lesser clearance between the side-boards of the bed of the truck and the trailer overshot.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a hitch adapter which allows the user to couple a standard fifth-wheel trailer to a standard ball hitch. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a hitch that is easy to install and remove and that permits vertical adjustment of the trailer.
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a hitch adapter for coupling a first vehicle, having a king pin and king pin box, to a second vehicle with a ball hitch, wherein the adapter is easy to install. The hitch adapter includes a threaded collar assembly for attaching to the king pin, a vertically adjustable body including a top with an internal threaded section, wherein the internal threaded section is configured to mate with the threaded collar assembly, and a bottom having a bell-shaped opening for receiving the ball hitch, the bell-shaped opening being larger than the ball hitch, and a latching mechanism coupled to the vertically adjustable body, the latching mechanism being operated by a handle located remote from the hitch.
In a preferred embodiment, the latching mechanism comprises a latch pin configured to ride against a shoulder of a ball hitch, a positive wedge block for securing the latch pin against the shoulder of the ball hitch and for preventing the latch pin from disengaging from the ball hitch, two opposing side plates attached to the bottom of the vertically adjustable body on either side of the latch pin and the wedge block, a backup plate attached to the two opposing side plates, the backup plate for securing the wedge block against the latch pin, and a linear cable actuator housing a cable, the cable being attached at one end thereof to the wedge block and at the other end thereof to a handle, the handle for activating and releasing the latching mechanism wherein the handle is located remote from the bottom of the vertically adjustable body.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a method of coupling a first vehicle with a king pin and king pin box mounted thereon to a second vehicle with a ball hitch. The method comprises attaching a threaded collar assembly to a king pin, screwing a vertically adjustable body onto the threaded collar assembly, wherein the vertically adjustable body comprises a first end having a slightly serrated top that grips the king pin box and an internal threaded section, and a second end having a bell-shaped opening for receiving the ball hitch, adjusting the vertically adjustable body to a height, aligning the bell-shaped opening within about two inches of the center of the ball hitch, coupling the vertically adjustable body to the ball hitch, and remotely activating a latching mechanism.
In a preferred embodiment, the vertically adjustable body allows a user to level the first vehicle for improved towing characteristics.
Another embodiment of the present invention comprises a hitch adapter for coupling any king pin to a ball hitch. The hitch adapter comprises a threaded collar assembly for attaching to the king pin, a vertically adjustable stem including a first end with an internal threaded section and a top, wherein the internal threaded section is configured to mate with the threaded collar assembly and the top is cone-shaped, slightly serrated and heat treated, and a second end having a bell-shaped opening for receiving the ball hitch, the bell-shaped opening being slightly larger than the ball hitch, and a latching mechanism attached to the vertically adjustable stem, the latching mechanism being operated by a handle located proximate the king pin.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a ranch hitch adapter kit comprising a hitch adapter, including a threaded collar assembly for attaching to a king pin, a vertically adjustable body having a bell-shaped opening for receiving the ball hitch, the bell-shaped opening being larger than the ball hitch, and a latching mechanism coupled to the vertically adjustable body, the latching mechanism comprising a linear cable actuator housing a cable, the cable being attached at one end thereof to a handle, the handle for activating and releasing the latching mechanism, and a cable bracket, and a spanner wrench, wherein the spanner wrench is adapted to secure the vertically adjustable body against a king pin box.